Cheese Glorious Cheese

 Moving up the coast, I headed for Tillamook. Why, you ask? Does Tillamook Ice Cream ring a bell? Or Tillamook Cheese? When visiting the Creamery, they had a factory tour - How could I not go? It was a fairly short drive up 101, maybe a couple of hours but it seemed like forever. Speed limit was mostly 55 mph, but with curves marked as 15 mph, there was no way I was going to go 55. I sort of felt bad for the cars that lined up behind me, but with a big honkin' trailer behind me, it seemed like 40 mpg was a sensible speed. The nice thing about Oregon is that they have a lot of turnoff areas where I can pull over and let people pass. Better for me...better for them. 

I decided to save Tillamook Creamery for my last day in the area. First up would be communing with nature at the Cape Meares Scenic Lookout. To get there you have to drive through some scenic little towns that are nestled between the ocean and the mountains.

The Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast at 38 feet. It can be that short because it is perched on top of a cliff and ...it also has a first order Fresnel Lens. A first order lens is the most powerful lighthouse lens made. It could be seen 21 miles out to sea. So, I guess this short little guy made up for his shortness with his big, big light.

Small but mighty

The Fresnel Lens

The other sight to see was the Octopus Tree. This is a Sitka spruce which measure 50 feet at it's base and is about 300 years old. The legend has it that local tribes trained the tree to hold canoes with corpses in a practice known as “tree burial”.

I just can't get enough of the Oregon coast

On the way back home, I stopped at a place called Old Oregon Smokehouse. My neighbors had recommended that I stop there for the clam chowder. It is a tiny, tiny little place, very rustic. When I arrived, they asked if this was my first time there and handed me a small sample of the clam chowder. After one taste, I ordered an 8 ounce container to eat there and a 32 ounce container to take home. It was absolutely the very best clam chowder I have ever had in my life.

Just down the road from my campground was Munson Creek Falls. To reach the falls, you have to walk maybe a ¼ mile through old growth forest. It was a beautiful little hike along a creek. After climbing a small hill, the falls come as a surprise. I looked up and I actually said out loud – wow! You couldn't get really close to them but with a 319' drop, it was impressive.

Oregon is soooo green

Munson Creek Falls

Finally the day came to go to the Creamery. I signed up for a tour which was fun. We went and saw the factory part with all the regular non-tour people and then they took us into a private room for a cheese tasting. We started with the fresh cheese curds but then we went into the Maker's Mark cheeses. The cheddar cheeses were from different years and you could taste what happens as the cheese ages. The oldest cheese we tasted was from 2014. Cheese, as it ages, goes through changes – not only does the taste change, but the texture does also.

It's all about the cows! 
Tillamook area has a population of 29,000.  They have over 30,000 cows.

Not much whirring machinery here

This is where the whirring machines happened!

Ok, I only bought one type of cheese from Tillamook - it was a garlic chili cheddar which the tour guide said was phenomenal on grilled hamburgers  now i just have to find somebody with a grill.  (I'm looking at you Davey!)